People stunned after learning there's a $20 billion airport located in the ocean

A $20 billion airport located in the ocean is leaving people astounded.

The airport flies domestic and international flights, and while it has an impressive array of shops - such as Chanel, Hermes and Cartier - as well as restaurants, it's what the airport is like from the outside which is taking social media users' breath away.

The airport is called the Kansai International Airport and it's located in the middle of Osaka Bay off the Honshu Shore in the Greater Osaka Area of Japan.

An island - Kankūjima - was specially built to house the airport, the idea of which was first created as a solution to overcrowding at Osaka International Airport.

The island is split into two areas for each airport building - terminal one and terminal two.

Terminal one - designed by Renzo Piano - sees international and domestic flights by major airlines' arrivals and departures and measures a whopping 1.7km making it the current longest airport terminal in the world.

Terminal two is for more local flights.

Getty Images/ Yamaguchi Haruyoshi/ Sygma

According to YouTube account Design Nerd, the airport sees a staggering 20 million passengers travel through it each year, making it the third busiest airport in Japan. It also transports one million tons of cargo.

And social media users are in awe of the $20 billion island site.

One X user said: "Kansai Airport Japan Built in Ocean..see my dear ..wht a wonderful site."

"Wow.. This is awesome.. Airport floating in the middle of the ocean," another commented.

A third added: "Kansai AirPort is impressive...an man made Island in the middle of the ocean."

And a fourth wrote: "Kansai Airport Built in Ocean! Great Example of Civil Engineering!"

Getty Images/ Yuli Seperi

However, despite its success as an airport and the admiration from social media users, the airport has been the subject of controversy.

It cost an eye-watering $20 billion to construct, the Insitution of Civil Engineers (ICE) noting: "The airport cost an initial $14bn to construct. By 2008, the price tag had risen to $20bn. This included land reclamation, two runways - a second 4,000m runway was added in 2007 - and terminal buildings."

Yet, by 2018, since it first opened in 1994, the airport has reportedly sunk a worrying 38 feet, as per the Smithsonian Magazine.

Another $150 million was poured into raising the seawall to protect the terminals, however, the island is expected to sink 13 more feet by 2056.

So, is the airport worth the money? Well, according to those involved in the project, yes. It connects Osaka to the rest of the world and has succeeded in helping reduce the overcrowding issue at Osaka International Airport.

The question is, will it survive?

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